WATONGA - We had a couple visit on Wednesday and she took a lot pictures inside and out. Thursday there was a group of 13 visit. They were staying at Roman Nose for a family gathering, one of them was on leave and they decided to all get together. It was nice for them to take time out of their time together to visit the museum.
Clay was up Wednesday and Thursday, and brought Anthony on Saturday working in the heat. At some point the balcony was covered with tin and that sun reflecting off that is defiantly hotter. I think they are too be praised for their dedication. He put sealer on the walls and worked on the wood around the windows on the balcony.
T. B. made the run, staking a claim near Oklahoma City in 1889. Subsequently, he sold it and returned to Sedan, Kansas. There he purchased a newspaper, the Sedan Republican, which he edited for 2 years. During this time he published his book, The Jayhawkers, which concerned the early history of Kansas.
The Cheyenne and Arapaho country was opened to settlement in April 19, 1892 and in October 1892, the Fergusons moved to Watonga. Each Indian was given 160 acres, then the rest was opened in the land run April 19, 1892. They came by train to Kingfisher. He drove a covered wagon transporting the newspaper equipment and she a light wagon with bedding and camp equipment and their two sons, one age five and the other age one. The young family arrived at night fall to Watonga, with muddy streets, lighted from the open doors of the seven saloons. She tells in her book, “They Carried the Torch” that when they drove into Watonga in Oct. 1892, it was dark and the streets were a mud hole. She looked down at the baby asleep in her lap and the little boy sitting beside her, and thought-I can’t bring my boys up in this wild country. I’m going back to Kansas in the a.m., but by the morning and after much persuasions from her husband she decided to stay. An unpainted wooden building, which had been hurriedly erected during the first few weeks of the town’s existence and which had been used as a hotel, had been rented for $10.00 a month for a printing office and the other three rooms served as a home. That building was located where the Noble House Bed & Breakfast is now. More to follow.
The next Ferguson Market will be July 10, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. If you have garden produce or canned vegetables, jellies and such, you bake or cook, do crafts, have older yard tools, puppies, kittens, bunnies, chickens, or eggs, bring them to the market. Call 580-623-5069 for more information or to reserve a spot. Be sure and leave name and call back number if you get the answering machine because we don’t have caller ID.
We welcome volunteers in any capacity and anyone wanting to become a member of the Friends of the Ferguson Home Museum. Our hours open are Wednesday thru Saturday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
I haven’t felt well this week so sorry I don’t have much to tell you. I’ll try to get back in the grove next week.